Rubber heel.



F. S. CARR.

RUBBER HEEL APPLICATION mm -ov.2e. my.

1,274,853 Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

@W M ATTYE;

man s. cm, or nnwron, MAQSACHUBETTS.

I RUBBER nun.

Specification 0t Iiettern Patent.

' Patented Aiug. 6, 1918.

Application nil-.4 November as, 1011. min 110. mm.

To all whom, it may (om-em Be it known that I, Fnan S. CARR, a citizen of the United States, residin at Newton, in the count of Middlcsex and tate of-Massachusetts, ave invented new and'use This invention relates to elastic heels or tread ieces for attachment to the relatively rigid eel portions of shoes, and has for its ob ect to rovide a rubber heel, the rear portion' of t e tread face of which is adapted to .be flexed rear portion 0 the heel strikes the groun or a pavement, and the tread face 1s m an inclined position, with its forward en raised, the rear portion of the tread wil yield more freely than the main rtion thereof, thus suitably cushioning t e first 'i-m act of the heel.

he invention is embodied in the improveinents which I will now proceed to describe and claim. p

-0f the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,--

Figure 1 is a top lan view of a rubber heel embodying the invention. I

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1. \Fi'g. 3is an enlargement of a portion of 16%. 2.

ig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the rubber heel held in the position it assumes when the rear portion of the heel tread first strikes the pavement.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a l'uodifioati-on. .i

The same reference, characters indicate the same inall o-fthe In e drawings, 12 represents a rubber heel which, as here shown, is of ordinary construction, and is (l'lfilll ished from heels now in common use in t e articulars hereinafter described, the heel ing providcd with the usual metallic washers- 18 located between its top and tread faces to her heel to the usual leather heel body 15. In carr ing out my invention, I recess the rear portion of the top face of the'heel to a depth preferably equal to about one-half the thickness of the, heel, to enable the rear portion of the heel body below'whe' recem portion to be flexed upwurdl said rear'portion including the rear ort' on of the tread 1m; provements in Rubber Heels, of which the i following is a specification.

1%pwardly, so that when t o wall there Bein engage-the usual-nails 14 which attach the In .the preferred embodiment of the invention shown b Figs. 1 2, 3 and 4, the top face of the heel s recessed by forming therein an elon ate segmental Eocket 16, wi-thin ancl efiepfng p allel wit the curved rear W e ool, a portion of said; pocket being located and the curved ar Wall of the heel.

The rear porti n of the tread face first strikes the pave nt pwhen the wearer is be ween the rear washer 15 walking, the heel eing inclined as indicated lfy Fig. 4. a It will be seen by reference to Fig. 4, that when the rear portion of the heel, below the bottom of the pocket 16, first strikes the pavement, the said rear portion is flexed upwardly and at the same time the curved rear wall oi the heel is flexed inwardly. The rear portion of the heel including the rear portion of the tread face is therefore adapted to yield with such freedom that the first impact of the heel on a pavement is almost mrperceptible. It will'also be seen that wheil 'the tread, face is horizontal, as shown by Fig. 3, its rear portion and the curved rear wall of the heel are returned to their normal positions, the heel presenting the usual external appearance.

In the modification shown by Fi 5, the rear portion o'f the-heel is provide with a recess 16 which ezgflends to the rear wall of the heel and decneases the height of said a space between the rear portion of the ru r heel and the rear portion of the leather heel 15. The rear ,por tion of the rubber heel including the rear portion of the tread ads to be freely flexed llgwvardly.

e above-described mod' cation is open to certain obvious disadvantages and is illustrated simp to indicate a possible wa-riation from t e construction shown by the receding figures. Th s upwardly flexible rear portion of the heel should be of sutlicient thickness to enable it to reasonably sustain wear, said thicknesses here shown about onehalf of the thiclmess of the y portion of i i vIt will be seen that the area occupied by the recess 16 and by the flexible rear wal forming the outer side of, said recess, is Wholly at the rear of the area occupied by the fastenin means. In other words, the location of e fasteni means is wholly betweenthe portion of t 0 heel which is-renface, is therefore dered flexible by the. recess and the breast of the heel, so thiit the flexibility of said portion is not affected by the fiustening means.

I claim: i i

1. A rubber heel having fastening-means and a top face the reeIZPOXtiOH Qf which is recessed to a depth preferahlf eq unl t to about one-half of the thicki ese'of t e heel, to form a flexible rear portion, the said fastening means' being entirely between said flexible portion and the breast of the heel, whereby said flexible'jmrtion'is adapted to be flexed upwardly.

2. A rubber heel having fastening means and a top face the rear portion of which is recessed within the curved rear wall of the heel to a depth preferably equal to about upper part of said rear wall, and the tread portion of the heel below the recessed portion, the said fastening means hein entirely between saiil flexible portion unr the breast of the heel, whereby said flexible portion is adapted to he flexed upwurdl y and the rear wall is adapted to be flexed inwardly.

In testimony whereof I have iaflixerl my signature.

FRED S. CARR. 

